As a national and international leader in both the field of special education and gifted and talented education, Gallagher's concerns for the individuals at both ends of the spectrum extended beyond academics. Although he is primarily known for his tireless lobbying to establish national and state policies that would promote a commitment to research, curriculum development, technical assistance, evaluation, and other necessary support systems to create an effective educational infrastructure for gifted children (J. J. Gallagher, 2013), his ultimate concerns were for the well-being of students and a nation that he believed desperately needed their developed talents in the face of international competitors. He was also concerned about their social and emotional well-being. He conducted some of the earliest research on self-concept and friendship issues. His early research on attitudes among university professors toward gifted children revealed a concern about the social consequences of acceleration that still permeates public opinion today. Contrary to what he expected, he found that other children often selected gifted children as friends. Their popularity pattern did not vary by the intellectual ability of their peers.